This invention relates to a frying apparatus. More particularly, this invention relates to a gas-fired frying apparatus for use in restaurants and institutional kitchens for frying fish, poultry, potatoes and other foods in a frypot containing frying oil.
The current state of the art for deep fryers is apparatuses which are comprised of a vat or frypot in which a quantity of cooking oil is heated to a predetermined temperature for so called deep fat frying. There are several long standing concerns and problems associated with these types of apparatuses.
The first problem with a deep fat frying apparatus is its relatively low efficiency as compared to modern day residential furnaces or commercial boilers. With the rising cost of fuel gas coupled with the question of its long term supply, it is imperative that a higher efficiency level for all fuel gas appliances be obtained. The apparatus within this invention has addressed this issue by reaching a higher level of unit efficiency. The unique features of the pressurized combustion process within this invention provides for an even higher level of efficiency by utilizing an auxiliary heat recovery system which can bring the units overall efficiency to approximately 90%.
Another concern with deep fat frying apparatus is the cost of the cooking oil. The health conscious trend of consumers has caused most restaurants/institutional kitchens to go to higher cost vegetable oils for cooking. Since the cost of the oil is the most costly component of the deep fat frying operation, any reduction in the amount of oil used is beneficial. One design within this invention in an apparatus that requires approximately 12% less cooking oil.
Still another concern with deep fat frying equipment is environmental issues. The future allowable emission levels for such equipment will surely be lower. This will present a problem for the restaurant/institutional kitchen because of the fact that this type of equipment is often one of the most widely used and most important cooking apparatuses within the operation. The apparatus presented in this invention addresses this concern by producing lower emissions and the apparatus has the flexibility to further accommodate toxic emissions or materials via a catalytic converter.
Still another concern with deep fat frying equipment is the overall taste and quality of the foodstuffs as all the above issues come to bear. Deep fat frying apparatuses used in restaurants and institutional kitchens, including so called fast food dispensers, must be capable of rapid warm up and maintaining a uniform temperature of the cooking oil over a specific time period including when relatively large loads of raw foodstuffs are placed in the frypot. These apparatuses must accommodate foodstuffs from potatoes to poultry, each with its own unique heating requirements, while maintaining consistency and uniformity of taste. Much research and testing has been done to determine the optimum frying time/temperature within a given cooking oil to ensure quality of taste. This invention provides for the pre-programming of a time/temperature function and, when combined with the unique features of the invented apparatus, will provide for precise control of these stringent time/temperature functions in a highly efficient manner. This flexibility ensures the quality of taste for a variety of foodstuffs with minimum energy consumption.